Stencil hand stamp with fluid-containing handle and retractable supports

ABSTRACT

A hand stamp stenciling printing implement or duplicator having an inking pad held in a cap, with the pad projecting down below the cap. The cap has a central opening and a tubular stem extending up from the cap in communication with the opening. The stem is internally and externally threaded. A cover plate is provided on top of the cap having an opening receiving the stem. A nut is threaded externally on the stem for clamping the cover plate on the cap. A plastic squeeze bottle containing ink is threaded internally in the stem. Brackets are provided at opposite ends of the cover plate having tongues extending therefrom between the cover plate and the cap and clamped therebetween by the nut, these brackets carrying retractable spring-biased legs for holding the pad raised above a supporting surface, the implement being adapted to be pushed down toward a supporting surface via retraction of the legs against the spring bias.

United States Patent Hammel 1 May 9, 1972 54] STENCIL HAND STAMP WITH FLUID- FOREIGN PATENTS R APPLICATIONS CONTAINING HANDLE AND 545,997 3/1932 Germany RETRACTABLE SUPPORTS 387,666 5/1965 Switzerland [72] Inventor: Larry F. I-hmmel, Herrin, lll.

, Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey [73] Assignee. :lhgraphBradky Industries, Inc., Herrm, AMI-am Examiner k. E Sm" Attorney-Keenig, Senninger, Powers and Leavitt [22] Filed: June 22, 1970 2| Appl. No.: 40,099 [57] ABSTRACT A hand stamp stenciling printing implement or duplicator hav- 52 us. Cl nouns, |0|/40s an Pad a 5| nn. (:1 ..B41k l/32 The a [58] m 0| sell-ch Am/125.405. H4. 127, 128v stem extending up from the cap in communication with the 101/333, 406, 371, 327; 401/183, 184. 185, 186 opening. The stem is internally and externally threaded. A cover plate is provided on top of the cap having an opening [56] Reierences Cited receiving the stem. A nut is threaded externally on the stem for clamping the cover plate on the cap. A plastic squeeze bot- UNITED STATES PATENTS tle containing ink is threaded internally in the stem. Brackets 759,430 s/|904 Flynn ..|0| 333 are Provided at pp ends of the cover Plate having 894,5 19 7/1908 Mills ....40l/185 gues extending therefrom between the cover plate and the cap 1,566,865 12/1925 Guthrie... 101/125 and clamped therebetween by the nut, these brackets carrying 2,919,642 [/1960 Mooney 101/1 retractable spring-biased legs for holding the pad raised above 1 1970 l n r- ---1 /l X a supporting surface, the implement being adapted to be I 995303 3/1935 Slocum! I01/l 25 pushed down toward a supporting surface via retraction of the Vosburg legs against the spring bias 1,782,877 11/1930 Madden ...l0l/l25 1,338,978 5/1920 Davis 101/405 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures l l 1 I 1 39 i I F I l 33 1 e7 77 59 5 l 2| .41 :n T 29 r' 6. 83

| I *4 5? l .-i: 57 7 r aezzwaszrra j fl 43 :r7l;fi7-?1lz ii3 63 63 .51 ..:\l:t g ,s'ln\l\l\In\II\\v-I\IRIF;vIL\vIR W. I V. n a? Mae 8 75 H I1 15 3 4? 23 3 V t We V a STENCIL HAND STAMP WITH FLUID-CONTAINING HANDLE AND RETRACTABLE SUPPORTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a hand stamp printing implement, and more particularly to a stenciling implement of this class.

The invention is particularly concerned with a hand stamp printing implement of the type having an inking pad, an ink reservoir for supplying ink to the pad, and means for holding a stencil in place on the bottom face of the pad for printing via manual application of the stencil to the surface to be imprinted. One of the problems attendant upon such an implement is that of positioning it with the stencil or bottom face of the inking pad out of contact with the supporting surface on which the implement is to rest between uses. The implement could be tilted over on its side, but this has the disadvantage that the ink tends to drain away from the pad.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of a hand stamp stenciling printing implement having means for holding itself lifted off a supporting surface, with its inking pad in generally horizontal position; and the provision of such an implement which is of relatively economical construction and relatively simple to assemble (and disassemble, if need be).

In general, a hand stamp printing implement of this invention comprises an inking pad held in a cap with the pad projecting down below the cap. The cap has a central opening and a tubular stern extending up from the cap in communication with the opening. The stem is internally and externally threaded. A cover plate is provided on top of the cap having an opening receiving the stem, arid a nut threaded externally on the stem clamps the cover plate on the cap. A combination ink reservoir and handle is threaded internally in the stem and extends upwardly therefrom. Brackets are provided at opposite ends of the cover plate, these brackets having mounting means extending therefrom between the cover plate and the cap and clamped therebetween by the nut. Each bracket carries retractable spring-biased leg means for holding the pad raised above a supporting surface, the implement being adapted to be pushed down toward the supporting surface via retraction of the legs against their spring bias. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan of a hand stamp of this invention, with a cover plate thereof partly broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of the FIG. I stamp, with a bottle thereof broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section generally on line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

F IG. 4 is a vertical section generally on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding pans throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a hand stamp printing implement made in accordance with this invention, indicated in its entirety by reference numeral 1, is shown to comprise a rectangular inking pad 3 of foam rubber or the like held in a sheet metal cap 5. The cap 5 has a flat rectangular top 7, and downwardly extending side flanges 9 andend flanges 11. Fixed in the cap spaced below its flat top 7 is a perforated partition 13, the space between the flat top 7 and the partition being designated in FIG. 3. The pad 3 is held in the cap below the partition by having its side and end edges suitably adhered to the inside of the side and end flanges 9 and 11 of the cap and is thicker than the distance from the partition to the lower edges of the flanges 9 and 11 so as to project down below the cap. The bottom face of the pad is covered by a cloth cover 17 adhered to the outside of the flanges 9 and ll of the cap. The cap has a central opening 19 and a tubular stem 21 extending upwardly from the top thereof in communication with this opening, the stem being riveted at its lower end in the opening as indicated at 23. The stem is threaded both internally and externally, as indicated at 25 and 27.

A rectangular cover plate 29 is provided on top of the cap 5. this plate having a central opening 31 receiving the stem 21. A ring nut 33 is threaded externally on the stem and clamps the cover plate 29 down on the cap 5. The cover plate has side and end flanges 35 and 37 and is slightly larger than the cap so that the side and end flanges 9 and 11 of the cap fit within these side and end flanges 35 and 37 of the cover plate. A combination ink reservoir and handle 39 is threaded internally in the stem 21 and extends upward therefrom. More particularly this combination reservoir and handle is a plastic squeeze bottle having a threaded neck 41 which is threaded in the stem, a plug 43 for the neck and a siphon 45 having one end fitted in an opening in the plug.

A stencil indicated in phantom at 47 is adapted to be applied to the cloth-covered bottom face of the inking pad 3 and to have its side margins clamped against the side flanges 9 of the inking pad cap 5 by means of spring clamps 49 carried by the cover plate 29 at opposite sides thereof. Each clamp is pivoted on a hinge pin 51 extending along the respective side of the cover plate having its ends mounted in hinge eyes 53 formed at the sides of the cover plate. Torsion springs for the clamps are indicated at 55.

A bracket 57 is mounted at each end of the cover plate 29, each bracket carrying a pair of retractable spring-biased legs 59 for holding the pad 3 raised above a supporting surface with the arrangement such that the implement 1 is adapted to be pushed down toward a surface via retraction of the legs 59 against their spring bias. Each bracket 57 comprises an elongate sheet metal plate 61 having a downwardly extending outside flange 63, downwardly extending end flanges 65, and a pair of integral elongate tongues 67 extending laterally from its inside edge opposite the outside flange 63. Tongues 67 extend through slots 69 in the end flanges 37 of the cover plate 29, and are held clamped between the cover plate and the top 7 of cap 5 of the pad 3 by the nut 33. A composition block 73 is cemented in each bracket 57. Each leg 59 has a head 75 at its upper end slidable in a cylinder 77 staked in a hole in the block and extending through a hole 79 in the plate 6l. The cylinder is closed at its upper end as indicated at 81 and a coil compression spring 83 reacts from its upper end against the head 75 to bias the leg downward relative to the cylinder to an extended position determined by engagement of the head 75 with an inturned flange 85 at the lower end of the cylinder. The lower ends of the cylinders are above the bottom face of the pad 3, and the legs 59 are fully retractable into the cylinders 77.

FIGS. 2-4 show the implement 1 with the legs 59 extended standing erect on a surface S. The implement is adapted to be pushed down toward the surface S against the upward return bias of springs 83 to print on the surface by inking through the stencil 47, and, when released, springs back up so that pad 3 is raised off the surface. It will be observed that the assembly of pad 3 (including cap 5), cover plate 29, and the brackets 57 carrying the spring-biased legs 59 is effected simply by applying the nut 33 to the stem 2 1.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

l. A hand stamp printing implement comprising an inking pad, a cap in which said pad is held with the pad projecting down below the cap, said cap having a central opening and a tubular stem extending up from the cap in communication with the opening, said stern being internally and externally threaded, a cover plate on top of the cap having an opening receiving said stem, a nut threaded externally on said stem and engaging the cover plate for clamping the cover plate on said cap, a combination ink reservoir and handle threaded internally in said stem and extending upwardly therefrom, brackets at opposite ends of said cover plate, said brackets having mounting means extending therefrom between the cover plate and the cap and clamped therebetween by said nut, and retractable spring-biased leg means carried by each bracket for holding the pad raised above a supporting surface, the implement being adapted to be pushed down toward said surface via retraction of said legs against their spring bias.

2. An implement as set forth in claim 1 wherein the combination ink reservoir and handle is a squeeze bottle.

3. An implement as set forth in claim 1 having clamp means at opposite sides of said cover plate for clamping a stencil in place on the bottom of said pad.

4. An implement as set forth in claim I wherein said cover plate has downwardly extending flanges at the ends thereof, and said bracket mounting means comprises tongues extending from the brackets between the cover plate and cap through slots in said end flanges of the cover plate.

5. An implement as set forth in claim 4 wherein each bracket carries a pair of vertical cylinders closed at their upper ends, each cylinder having a leg slidable between a retracted position within the cylinder and an extended position extending down out of the lower end of the cylinder, and spring means on each cylinder biasing the respective leg to its said extended position.

i I t I i 

1. A hand stamp printing implement comprising an inking pad, a cap in which said pad is held with the pad projecting down below the cap, said cap having a central opening and a tubular stem extending up from the cap in communication with the opening, said stem being internally and externally threaded, a cover plate on top of the cap having an opening receiving said stem, a nut threaded externally on said stem and engaging the cover plate for clamping the cover plate on said cap, a combination ink reservoir and handle threaded internally in said stem and extending upwardly therefrom, brackets at opposite ends of said cover plate, said brackets having mounting means extending therefrom between the cover plate and the cap and clamped therebetween by said nut, and retractable spring-biased leg means carried by each bracket for holding the pad raised above a supporting surface, the implement being adapted to be pushed down toward said surface via retraction of said legs against their spring bias.
 2. An implement as set forth in claim 1 wherein the combination ink reservoir and handle is a squeeze bottle.
 3. An implement as set forth in claim 1 having clamp means at opposite sides of said cover plate for clamping a stencil in place on the bottom of said pad.
 4. An implement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover plate has downwardly extending flanges at the ends thereof, and said bracket mounting means comprises tongues extending from the brackets between the cover plate and cap through slots in said end flanges of the cover plate.
 5. An implement as set forth in claim 4 wherein each bracket carries a pair of vertical cylinders closed at their upper ends, each cylinder having a leg slidable between a retracted position within the cylinder and an extended position extending down out of the lower end of the cylinder, and spring means on each cylinder biasing the respective leg to its said extended position. 